'Straight from the Horse's Mouth'
2023-11-05
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1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
2On today's show, we will be talking about an animal that is as impressive and beautiful as it is useful -- the horse.
3Today's expression is straight from the horse's mouth.
4"Straight from the horse's mouth" is about the way we get information and - with this expression - that means directly.
5When we hear something from the source, we can say we heard it first-hand. It is coming from a primary source.
6When we use this expression, we can drop the word "straight" if necessary.
7So, if you hear something from the horse's mouth, you hear it from the person who has direct personal knowledge of the information.
8For example, a co-worker of mine, Andrew, likes to play the piano.
9But don't take my word for it, let's hear it straight from the horse's mouth.
10ANDREW: I really like to play the piano.
11Thanks, Andrew!
12The opposite of this expression would be through the grapevine.
13That is a very indirect way to get information.
14Now, let's talk about origin. Experts are not sure how this expression started.
15However, there are two common explanations.
16One traditional explanation is about buying horses.
17Before buying a horse, a possible buyer would look into the horse's mouth.
18This is because you can tell a bit about a horse's health and age from its gums and teeth.
19Another explanation involves horse racing.
20At the horse races, people talk about which horses will win and which ones will lose.
21The most valuable opinions are from the people who know the horses the best - the riders and trainers.
22Since you can't ask the horse, these people are the next best thing.
23"Straight from the horse's mouth" suggests the most knowledgeable source of information.
24So, this expression can also mean from a reliable source.
25The information is coming from a trustworthy person.
26It may even be the definitive source, meaning the best authority.
27Now, let's hear the expression used in another example:
28A: Hey, guess what? Stella is moving to Toronto! She's so excited.
29B: Are you sure? She just bought a house a year ago.
30A: She told me herself last night over dinner.
31B: I just can't believe it. I mean, she also just got a promotion and a raise at her job. It doesn't make sense.
32A: Well, whether it makes sense or not, that's what she told me.
33B: Maybe you misheard her.
34A: I didn't. I heard it straight from the horse's mouth - Stella's!
35And that's all the time we have on the show today.
36If anyone asks you where you learned this expression, tell them you heard it straight from the horse's mouth - from VOA Learning English.
37Until next time, I'm Anna Matteo.
1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. 2On today's show, we will be talking about an animal that is as impressive and beautiful as it is useful -- the horse. 3Today's expression is straight from the horse's mouth. "Straight from the horse's mouth" is about the way we get information and - with this expression - that means directly. 4When we hear something from the source, we can say we heard it first-hand. It is coming from a primary source. 5When we use this expression, we can drop the word "straight" if necessary. So, if you hear something from the horse's mouth, you hear it from the person who has direct personal knowledge of the information. 6For example, a co-worker of mine, Andrew, likes to play the piano. But don't take my word for it, let's hear it straight from the horse's mouth. 7ANDREW: I really like to play the piano. 8Thanks, Andrew! 9The opposite of this expression would be through the grapevine. That is a very indirect way to get information. 10Now, let's talk about origin. Experts are not sure how this expression started. However, there are two common explanations. 11One traditional explanation is about buying horses. Before buying a horse, a possible buyer would look into the horse's mouth. This is because you can tell a bit about a horse's health and age from its gums and teeth. 12Another explanation involves horse racing. At the horse races, people talk about which horses will win and which ones will lose. The most valuable opinions are from the people who know the horses the best - the riders and trainers. Since you can't ask the horse, these people are the next best thing. "Straight from the horse's mouth" suggests the most knowledgeable source of information. 13So, this expression can also mean from a reliable source. The information is coming from a trustworthy person. It may even be the definitive source, meaning the best authority. 14Now, let's hear the expression used in another example: 15A: Hey, guess what? Stella is moving to Toronto! She's so excited. 16B: Are you sure? She just bought a house a year ago. 17A: She told me herself last night over dinner. 18B: I just can't believe it. I mean, she also just got a promotion and a raise at her job. It doesn't make sense. 19A: Well, whether it makes sense or not, that's what she told me. 20B: Maybe you misheard her. 21A: I didn't. I heard it straight from the horse's mouth - Stella's! 22And that's all the time we have on the show today. 23If anyone asks you where you learned this expression, tell them you heard it straight from the horse's mouth - from VOA Learning English. 24Until next time, I'm Anna Matteo. 25Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. 26_________________________________________________ 27Words in This Story 28primary -adj. happening or coming first 29gums -n. (pl.) the tissue inside the mouth around the teeth 30reliable -adj. able to be trusted to provide what is needed; dependable 31definitive -adj. considered final or settled as the best or most correct 32promotion -n. an increase in job rank or position 33We want to hear from you. Do you have a similar expression in your language? In the Comments section, you can also practice using any of the expressions from the story. 34Our comment policy is here.